If I Lost You
by LaurenSJx
Summary: When a terrible accident takes place, Robert must confront his true feelings... But at what cost?
1. Chapter 1

**If I Lost You **

Since returning to Emmerdale Village from France, things had been relatively normal for Aaron Livesy. He had been focusing on settling into life back in the village, adjusting to the daily life of being a mechanic and living in the Woolpack with his Mum. That was the easy part. Some other parts of moving back home hadn't been so easy. Although it was his home, it holds some painful memories, memories which Aaron wasn't sure he could ever face again.  
Emmerdale holds the memory of Jackson. His Jackson. And every time he closes his eyes in the village he can see him, he can see everything they had, the places that they went, the promises that they made to each other and everything they meant to each other.

But he could also see everything that he had lost.  
His world was shattered when Jackson's tragic accident had taken place and he became a shadow of his former self, Aaron had spent endless nights in torture as Jackson had begged him to end his life and set him free. Loving him so much, Aaron granted his wish and his world was gone.  
He thought that he would never get over the pain of losing the one he loved, he felt so guilty for such a long time, he didn't think that he deserved to be happy after what he had done.  
But slowly as the time passed it became easier, and he learnt to forgive himself, he realised that Jackson wouldn't want him to be unhappy and he would be watching over him always, keeping him safe.  
He also came to realise that he would never love another like he loved Jackson.

That is until he met Robert Sugden.

Robert had allowed Aaron to live dangerously for the past few weeks since they began their secret affair.  
From the very beginning Robert had made it clear that the affair was just a bit of fun, and was nothing serious, and Aaron knew that.  
He knew that Robert was engaged to Chrissie and he had no intentions of leaving her for him.  
Aaron knew that nothing could ever come of this affair so why was he feeling like this?  
He was starting to fall for Robert, but he knew that his feelings were in vain because Robert did not feel the same way about him.

But even so, Aaron could not help but smile as he headed off for another secret meeting with him.

Robert was pacing the barn waiting for Aaron to arrive, he knew that his words would seem cruel and unfair but Robert couldn't keep up with the lie anymore.  
He loved Chrissie. She means everything to him and she has given him everything he could have ever dreamed of. He couldn't throw all that away.  
He had to make a choice, and he had chosen her.  
Aaron would have to deal with it, he would have to move on.

Robert felt his stomach turn as he heard the car pull up outside, he was greeted by Aaron and Robert could feel his heart pound as he saw the smile on his face.

_'You took you're time, I've been waiting here ages_,' Robert coldly greeted him.  
_'Yeah well it's not easy to escape from work when your family is the management you know'_ Aaron had failed to pick up on Robert's negative tone, and made his way towards him.  
_'Yeah Whatever, listen we need to talk. I can't do this anymore. I love Chrissie, we're going to be married soon and I can't keep on lying to her. This was never meant to be anything serious, it was just a harmless fling, you knew that from the start. Well now it has to end, and I'm sorry if that hurts you but that's how it's got to be. So we both just need to get on with our lives as if this had never happened okay?'_

Robert's words trailed off and they were met with silence. When he didn't hear a reply he looked up. Aaron had gone.  
Robert raced from the barn to see the car driving into the distance.  
He felt terrible for hurting Aaron but he knew it was the right thing to do, he loved Chrissie.  
He never loved Aaron like that.  
And he never would.

Aaron raced along the old road with Robert's words ringing in his ears.  
He knew this was bound to happen at some time so why did it still hurt so much?  
He thought he'd prepared himself for what would come, and when it happened he would be able to deal with it and move on.  
But Robert's words had cut him like a knife. He couldn't deny it, he had fallen for him, which meant letting go had become so much harder.  
It was so easy for Robert to say those things to him, so easy for him to end things.  
He had obviously never cared about him at all.  
Aaron couldn't help but wish he had never cared about Robert, then he wouldn't feel this pain.

The tears fell down his face, clouding his vision, he had never felt so broken.  
The road became hazy, he couldn't see through his tears.  
He wiped his eyes, but became instantly blinded by a beaming light on the road.  
Aaron fought to keep control, he desperately turned the wheel in protest.

He felt the other vehicle slam into the side of his car, sending it flying through the air and onto it's roof.

Aaron let out a breath and then slipped into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Paddy entered the Woolpack and was greeted by Chas. He made his way over to the bar and sat down while Chas poured him his drink. He began to scan the pub and Chas noticed that he was looking for someone.  
_'_You lost Rhona_?'_ Chas joked.  
'No I was looking for Aaron. I sent him a message seeing if he fancied a pint tonight but he never got back to me. He knew I was coming so I thought he might have just met me here anyway. Is he around?'  
Chas shook her head. 'No he isn't. As a matter of fact I haven't seen him for a while. Mind due I barely see him anyway so what's new. Tell you what I'll give him a call and tell him to get back. It's been ages since you two have caught up and he has missed you even if he won't admit it himself, I know he has.'  
She smiled and headed into the back to phone her son.

**Chas' phone call was in vain, Aaron was lying in the wreckage of the car, injured and alone.**

Chas returned moments later with a look of concern on her face.  
'Didn't manage to catch him then' Paddy questioned.  
'Straight through to voicemail, do you know what? I could ring his flaming neck sometimes.'  
Paddy chuckled. 'You know what he's like, he'll come back later with his tail between his legs. He usually does.'  
Chas pulled a face and continued serving at the bar, unaware that he son was lying in a car wreck, desperate for help.

_Aaron slowly began to regain consciousness, dazed and disorientated he took in his surroundings. It didn't take him long to realise that he had crashed. The car was upside down and he was hurt. He didn't know how badly. He tried to move only for a wave of pain to come flooding through him, he cried out in unbelievable pain. He was trapped. The road was silent, he couldn't hear one vehicle. He was in trouble. He continued to try and break free, unsuccessfully, the pain shoooting through his chest was unbearable. He gave up and surrendered to unconsciousness once more._

The silence was interrupted as Cain Dingle came tearing down the old road on his way back to Butler's.  
He stopped in his tracks,  
noticing smoke coming from the ditch. Pulling over and getting out of the car to investigate,  
He was greeted by a sight that made his blood run cold.  
He knew that Number plate.  
He knew the driver.  
Aaron.

He raced down to the ruined car, there lay his nephew, unconscious and very seriously injured.  
'AARON! AARON! WAKE UP!' Cain frantically tried to rouse his nephew, unsuccessfully.

Snatching out his phone, Cain called the emergency services.  
'I need an Ambulance. There's been a Car accident on the old road just outside Emmerdale village. It's my nephew he was in the car, No he's hurt and I can't wake him.'  
Hanging up the phone, Cain returned to Aaron's side as he began to come round.  
'Aaron! Hang in there Pal! It's gonna be alright! The paramedics are on their way so just sit tight'  
Aaron gasped 'Hurts, I can't move.'  
'I know! Look just stay still, keep calm, they'll be here soon' Cain looked around, taking in the full scale of the accident, how it had happened he didn't know. There  
would be time for answers later, right now all that mattered was Aaron, and getting him out of the wreck alive.

**Chas was beginning to worry, hours had passed and Aaron still hadn't come home. She tried his phone again. Voicemail.**

Cain was becoming desperate, Aaron was getting worse by the minute and the emergency services still hadn't arrived.  
He checked on Aaron, he was struggling to keep his eyes open. Before Cain had a chance to comfort him, his eyesight was diverted to the back of the car.  
Petrol.  
If Cain didn't get Aaron out soon, the car was going to explode, and he would not have Aaron inside when that happens.

Cain returned to Aaron's side and spoke to him softly 'Okay Pal! Listen, I'm going to have to get you out of here, now it's not going to be easy and it's going to hurt, but I'm right here with you okay.'  
Aaron nodded, too weak to realise the full extent of the situation.  
Cain swang into action, covering Aaron's eyes as he smashed the remainder of the glass from the windscreen and cleared away the shards, making a clear path for him to drag Aaron to safety.

He returned to the Car wreck and surveyed Aaron's injuries, his leg was trapped quite possibly broken, and he knew from Aaron's lack of breath that he must have broken several ribs. God knows what other internal injuries he could be facing. Getting him out wasn't going to be easy. But he didn't have a choice. More and More fuel was leaking from the Car and they were running out of time.  
'Right! Let's get you out of here!' Cain used all his strength to free Aaron's leg. He winced as he heard his nephew scream in agony.  
Finally, Aaron was free and Cain dragged him out of the car with seconds to spare.  
They both fell to the ground as the Car exploded and became a raging inferno.

With Aaron free Cain was flooded with relief as the Paramedics arrived and rushed to attend to his injured nephew.  
He pulled out his phone while they worked to stabilize him, he was about to make the call every mother dreads.

Soon Chas Emerged from the back room of the Woolpack, with tears running down her face, and a look of devastation and panic.  
'Chas? What is it? What's happened?' Paddy asked her, concerned for his friend.  
Chas took a deep breath, struggling to get out the words.  
'It... It's Aaron... He's... He's been in a Car crash.' She informed him.  
Paddy's face fell. His heart jumped. Aaron had been hurt.  
'I need to get to him.' Chas frantically raced out of the pub followed by Paddy.

In their desperate race to be at Aaron's side, Chas and Paddy had failed to notice, standing in the doorway with a face as white as a ghost and a look of sheer panic painted across his face.  
Robert.  
He had heard everything.  
His heart plummeted.


	3. Chapter 3

It was an agonising wait at the hospital as Aaron had been taken into surgery. Chas paced the floor desperate for answers.  
She couldn't bear the thought that her son was fighting for his life. The past 2 years without him by her side had been so hard, every day was a struggle.  
Now she had finally got him back and the thought of loosing him again was too much. She loved her son more than anything else in this world.  
Nothing could even come close to the way she feels about him. Losing him would collapse her entire world and that was something she could never live with.  
Aaron had to come through this.  
He had to fight.  
He had to come back to her.

All she could do was hope and Pray.

Paddy sat in silence, struggling to come to terms with the day's events. Everything had changed in a matter of seconds.  
He wished he could go back to sitting in the Woolpack completely unaware of the car crash that may or may not have claimed his Son's life.  
_**His Son.** _  
From the moment that Aaron had entered Paddy's life they had begun to form a bond, they had grown so close,  
Paddy had been by Aaron's side through some of the most significant moments of his life.  
He had comforted him while he broke down and confided in him about his sexuality.  
Stayed at his bedside when he had tried to end his life, unable to cope with the truth, terrified of how he would be seen by others,  
thinking he had no choice but to give it all up, but Paddy had been there for him, he had helped him fight.  
He had held him while he cried over Jackson, he was the one who let him know that things were going to be okay and in time, he would get better. Through everything, Paddy had been there, by his side.

Now he was right back in the same situation.

It felt like they were trapped in a never ending nightmare, all Paddy wanted was to wake up and run to Aaron, throw his arms around him and never let go.  
He wanted him to be safe.  
But it was out of his control now.

_Aaron's life was in the hands of a group of complete strangers, he lay unconscious, while they battled to save his _  
_life. _

It felt like days had passed when a doctor finally emerged to deliver news to Aaron's frantic Parents.

'Miss Dingle. The operation was successful. Your son's stable and all his vitals look good.'

Chas almost burst with relief.  
'So he's okay? I mean he's going to be okay?'  
The surgeon nodded, finally giving Chas and Paddy the conformation they were so desperately praying for;  
'He needed a lot of work. His right lung collapsed and had to be repaired, We had to remove his spleen due to the injuries he sustained in the crash.  
He's broken his right leg and he also took a heavy knock to his head which caused a mild concussion.  
He sustained some superficial cuts and bruises but we're confident that they will clear up pretty soon.  
He's going to be very uncomfortable for a while, So he'll need lots of rest while he recovers.

Chas and Paddy looked at each other in relief before throwing their arms around him. Aaron had made it and they would be with him every step of the way, while he regained his strength.  
They were not going to leave his side now.

'Paddy turned back to the surgeon; Can we see him please?'

'Yes of course. This way.'

They followed the doctor, making their way towards where Aaron lay, injured.

Chas closed her eyes and took a breath, dreading the sight that would greet her.

He couldn't cope with this. All he could think about was the last conversation he had with Aaron and how he had told him that he didn't want to see him anymore. What if that was the last thing he said to him?

Robert felt sick to his stomach. He had spent all this time convincing himself that his affair with Aaron was nothing more than a distraction from the everyday life of running the home farm estate, and dealing with Chrissie's demands.  
It was an escapism from the pressure mounting on his shoulders.  
He had absolutely no real feelings for Aaron and nothing would ever come of their affair.

**_So why was he so worried?_**

So many thoughts were swimming in Robert's head. He felt so guilty and he might not even get to tell Aaron how sorry he is for what was said.

_**He wasn't going to take that chance.**_

Picking up his keys, he raced out of the door, praying that he wasn't too late.

Chas and Paddy entered Aaron's room, monitors were beeping steadily, keeping track of his rhythms.  
He looked so fragile, like he would break with one touch.

Chas sat down beside her son, took his hand and held it in hers, letting her son know she was right there beside him.  
Paddy sat down beside her, keeping vigil at Aaron's side while he slept.

And that's where they were going to stay.


	4. Chapter 4

**A:N - Thank You all so much for your Kind Faves and Follows etc so far! I'm thrilled that you're liking the story! **  
**Please review! I love hearing your Feedback!  
****Love Lauren xxx **

By the time Aaron finally woke up, Chas and Paddy had surrendered to sleep, the days events weighing heavy on them both.

Aaron blinked and took in his surroundings. Hospital. He hated Hospitals. Too many bad memories.  
So, he knew where he was. But why? What had happened?  
He thought back on his movements. He remembered being at home, his mum ranting on at him for leaving empty cartons in the fridge, then he could remember being at work with Cain in yet another foul mood and then he went somewhere else...

He went to meet Robert in the barn.

He stopped. Robert. He remembered that all right.  
He remembered every single word that Robert had said to him and how they had cut him to the bone.  
He had never admitted it out loud, but Aaron had pinned so many hopes on his secret affair and they had all been dashed 10 seconds flat.  
Now he was left with nothing.  
He was left lying in a hospital bed feeling worthless rejected.  
He couldn't feel any worse if he tried. He shifted uncomfortably under the covers.  
He was hurt. He didn't know how badly.  
He looked to where his mother lay sound asleep before noticing Paddy snoring away in the chair beside him. He smiled to himself, even though there were questions that he needed answering, he was glad they were by his side.

Aaron swallowed. His throat was so dry. Not knowing the full scale of his injuries, he sat up to reach the water by the side of his bed.  
**It proved to be an instant mistake.**  
He felt pain shoot up through his entire body, like he had fallen into an ice cold river and had his breathe snatched away.  
He cried out in pain, instantly alerting his Parents that he was awake. Paddy shot up and Chas was by Aaron's side in seconds.  
'Oh My God! Aaron it's okay! It's okay just breathe!' Chas comforted her son while he regained control of his breathing.  
'Water' Aaron declared hoarsely. Paddy immediately poured the water and held the cup to Aaron's lips so he could drink. The liquid felt like heaven as it slid down his throat.

'You gave us quite a scare there mate! How you feeling?' Paddy questioned the young Mechanic, concern still painted right across his face.  
Aaron grimaced as another round of pain shot through him; 'Like Agony. What happened?'  
Chas and Paddy exchanged a look, they had half expected him not to remember.  
Chas took Aaron's hand and spoke to him gently;  
'You were in a Car Crash. Cain found you out on the old road, the car was a complete mess, it had over turned onto the roof and Cain managed to get you out before it exploded. But you hurt yourself pretty bad, they had to operate to repair the damage so your going to feel pretty rubbish for a while. The main thing now is to get you better, and back on your feet.'  
Aaron nodded and turned to Paddy 'I'm sorry about our pint. '  
Paddy laughed 'I think under the circumstances you've earned yourself a rain check.'  
Aaron smirked.

All three jumped out of their skin as the door burst open and Adam came flying in and threw his arms around Aaron, overcome with emotion that his best friend was alive. '  
Whoa! Easy mate!' Adam had caused another wave of pain to circulate through Aaron's chest.  
'Sorry! Mate, I've been so worried! From the way your Charity was talking I thought you were on your death bed.'

Chas frowned; 'You know Charity, she never could resist a touch of drama.' '  
Adam chuckled in agreement before turning back to Aaron 'So, what the hell were you doing out there, you know that road's dodgy at the best of times.'

'I... I was..' Aaron stuttered...  
He suddenly realised that he couldn't ever tell them the truth. The real reason why he had crashed.  
'I must have been driving too fast, I came around the corner too sharp and then I just lost control and I couldn't break. Next thing I know I'm waking up here with my mum telling me I've been dragged out of a car wreck by Cain.'  
He hated lying through his teeth to his friends and family, but he prayed that it was enough to buy him some time, at least for now.

Adam just shook his head and stood at the bottom of Aaron's bed before turning to Chas and Paddy.  
'I bet you two'll be glad to see the end of this day won't you?'  
Paddy sighed and nodded in agreement 'You can say that again.'  
Chas turned her attention back to Aaron who had begun to shift around again.  
'You okay love?' she studied him hard, she could tell that something was wrong  
'Yeah I'm just really tired, and it still hurts' Aaron replied, the pain painted all over his face.

'Right well we'll get off and let you rest and I'll give the nurse a shout on our way out.'

Adam piped up; 'Aww what No! I haven't made any jokes about him losing a spleen yet!'  
Chas smiled 'Come on you! There's plenty of time for that later' She kissed her son on the forehead and then left the room followed by Chas and Paddy.

_**Watching them leave, waiting to make his move,**_  
_**Robert slipped into Aaron's room and closed the door...**_


	5. Chapter 5

**A Shorter Chapter this one, but it was necessary to get the point of the story across!**  
**Once again Feel free to review! **  
**Lots of Love Lauren x**

He turned to face Aaron, who had fallen asleep again, heavily influenced by the strong painkillers that were aiding his recovery.  
Robert felt so guilty, even though he did not have the full story over what had happened, he blamed himself.  
He knew that this was his fault.  
His actions had been the cause of Aaron speeding into the night, and turning his vehicle into a wreck.

Robert continued to observe Aaron's chest rise and fall, he looked so peaceful when he slept. Robert suddenly realised that a smile had crept across his face.  
What was he feeling? He had managed to convince himself that he felt nothing for Aaron, he had simply been a distraction and it would be easy to drop him when he was married.  
That was Robert's plan all along and he was determined to carry it through.  
Now his heart was fighting against that plan; steering him in another direction, the direction he had never wanted to take;  
He was starting to fall for Aaron. Really fall.  
And something told him it wasn't going to be easy to escape this path.  
So many obstacles stood in his way. How was he ever going to find a solution to this mess? He thought he could just dump Aaron and run straight back to Chrissie and carry on with his life, like nothing had ever happened, like Aaron had merely been a dream. He felt so stupid thinking it could be that easy.  
Aaron had very nearly died because of him, and there was no way he was going to make that mistake again.

'Robert?'  
He was so deep in thought he hadn't even noticed that Aaron had woken up and by the looks of things had been trying to get his attention for quite some time.  
'What are you doing here?' Aaron was clearly taken aback, surprised to find Robert in the room following their earlier conversation.  
'I just came to make sure you were alright'  
'You made it quite clear that it's not your job to care anymore.' Aaron replied, still hurt by Robert's actions.  
'I said we couldn't be together anymore Aaron, I never said I didn't care. Just because I ended it doesn't mean we have to cut ties with each other.'  
Aaron made another failed attempt to sit up, before collapsing back onto his pillows still feeling worn out.  
He looked Robert straight into the eyes;  
'What do you want me to say Robert? We'll just move on and forget it ever happened? You run back to Chrissie and we can still be friends? I don't think so somehow do you?' Aaron took a sharp breath, he could feel his emotions building inside.  
'What do you want from me Aaron? You want me to abandon Chrissie? The best thing that ever happened to me? I mean what don't you understand?  
How many times do I have to say it? What happened with us was nothing, nothing more than a distraction, it was never meant to last. I'm marrying Chrissie. I love her and I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her. So you need to get that into your head and move on, for all our sakes. I'm not going to hurt Chrissie, I won't so...'

'But it was okay for you to hurt me.' Aaron interrupted.

Robert's words trailed off, he was speechless. He could feel his heart pounding again. Suddenly he was seeing Aaron in completely different light.  
For the first time he looked vulnerable, the tough guy exterior had been stripped away and in it's place he could see just how much he had hurt him.

'Aaron I... I'm sorry.. But what am I supposed to do?'

Aaron made no attempt to carry on the conversation.  
He turned away from Robert, aggravating his injuries and causing him to gasp in pain;  
Robert came to Aaron's side and tried to help but Aaron wasn't interested;  
'I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP ROBERT! JUST GO! GO BACK TO YOUR FIANCE AND YOUR PERFECT LITTLE LIFE!' Aaron exploded.

Robert admitted defeat, knowing that there was no hope of reasoning with Aaron, the damage had been done. He knew the best thing he could do was to leave Aaron to calm down.  
He left the room just as the nurse arrived to check Aaron over after hearing his raised voice, Robert took one last look at Aaron before disappearing down the corridor.

Aaron felt the tears fall down his face...  
He had never felt so unhappy.


	6. Chapter 6

An entire week later and Aaron was finally ready to come home.  
There had been endless meetings with the medical team, how he would have to take it easy everyday and not push himself. Aaron hated feeling like this.  
His stupid injuries mean that he has to rely on everyone to do things for him, he couldn't even hold down a conversation for more than half an hour without falling asleep;

'That's normal love. The doctor said it would take time for you to regain your full strength.' Chas was trying to get Aaron to remain poisitive but it wasn't working.

'How much time? Days? Weeks? Months? I'm going to be stuck like this for ages.'

Aaron was frustrated, he felt like he wasn't making any improvement.  
It felt like he was at the brink of moving forward only to fall three steps back.

Paddy entered the room with crutches for Aaron, it was going to be a while before he could walk on his own thanks to his messed up leg.

'Right, Are you ready mate?

Aaron sighed 'As I'll ever Be'

He hated the thought of returning to the village. At least while he was in hospital he didn't have to see Robert all loved up with Chrissie in their pre-marital bliss. Every time he saw them together all he could think about was what could never be, and that hurt so much.  
At the hospital he was sheltered from those feelings, they allowed him to breathe, and he dreaded the thought of having to go through that all over again.

He knew he didn't have a choice, it didn't matter what he wanted, he was stuck in this horrible triangle of emotions and no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't see an end in sight. For now at least there was nothing he could do. Not in the state he was in.  
He had to concentrate on getting himself better, and then he'll find a way to tackle the situation with Robert.

'Are we going then or what?'

Paddy helped him off the bed and handed him his crutches while Chas collected his things.

Aaron took a deep breathe before leaving the hospital behind, making his way home.

Robert couldn't help but wonder how Aaron was. He hadn't seen him in over a week and that was a strange feeling considering the how close the pair of them have been lately, but during his last visit to the hospital, Aaron had made it clear that Robert wasn't welcome. And he didn't blame him.  
Robert had made such a mess of things. He was so naive to think that Aaron would just accept his decision and move on.  
How could Robert have treated him so badly?

'Erm excuse me! Aren't you supposed to be on your way to a meeting?'

Chrissie had disrupted Robert from his thoughts, once again smashing him straight back to reality.

'Yeah I am, just on my way now.'

'Well don't be too long, Dad promised to take Lucky out tonight so we have the entire place to ourselves. ' Chrissie seductively informed Robert.

Robert watched as she made her way back up to Home Farm. She was everything to him, she had given him a life he could only have dreamed of before.  
He knew he was betraying her every moment he thought about Aaron, but he couldn't stop, no matter how hard he tried.

'HEY AARON! WELCOME HOME MATE!'

Robert spun his head round to see Adam running to meet his best friend as the car halted to a stop outside the Woolpack.  
He felt his heart sink as Aaron was helped out of the car by Paddy. It had been so long since Robert had laid eyes on him, he'd forgotten just how extensive his injuries were.  
He could feel the guilt creep back inside him, still blaming himself for the crash.

Robert watched as Aaron disappeared inside without even noticing he was there.

He was left with only one thought.  
If there was any chance of finding a solution to this mess,

He had to make things right with him.

Somehow.

If Aaron would give him a chance.

**Another short Chapter tonight guys! Once again Thank you so much for all your kind reviews and follows etc! It means so much to know that you are liking my writing!**

**I have some exciting plans for the next few chapters so please stick with me!**

**Lots of Love**

**Lauren xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi Everyone!  
First of all I am so sorry that this has taken ridiculously long to Update! I have been so busy preparing for Uni! But I'm back now with a load of new ideas for the next chapters!  
So at last here it is Chapter 7!  
Enjoy**

**Lauren xx **

Upon entering the Woolpack, Aaron was greeted by the other village residents who welcomed him home with open arms, clearly pleased to see him.  
Aaron smiled gratefully at every 'Welcome Home' he received before continuing through to the back room.

Opening the door, Aaron very nearly fell over in surprise, he probably would have done had he not had the support of Paddy to rely on. His family had gathered together to welcome him home. Zak, Lisa, Belle, Debbie, Charity and even Cain had made an appearance.  
Aaron was grateful even thought he knew it was his mum's handiwork.

'Welcome Home Pal. Good to see you in one piece. Well almost.' Cain smirked, he couldn't resist making fun of Aaron's dodgy leg.  
But today Aaron wasn't going along with Cain's humour. He wasn't in the mood to laugh and joke, he didn't find anything about his current situation funny.  
He found it useless and pathetic that he couldn't do anything for himself.  
Aaron shifted on his feet and Paddy could tell that he was uncomfortable. He guided him onto the sofa and helped him to sit down, Aaron's face grimaced as he continued to suffer the pain from his injuries.  
Paddy propped his injured leg up with a pillow that Chas had already prepared for him. Aaron smiled gratefully at his surrogate father.

Chas sat down beside her son, took his hands and looked him in the eyes;  
'Now will you please promise me that you won't be pulling a stunt like that again. You promised me last time that I wouldn't have anymore sleepless nights and you've already broken that one so no more okay.'

Aaron chuckled. 'Trust me. I had no intention of crashing a car the first time and I have no intention of doing it again.'

'Yeah about that, what actually happened out there on the road? I mean what happened that made you lose control of the car?' Chas immediately regretted her question when she saw Aaron's face drop. 'I'm sorry love... I know it's uncomfortable to remind you it's just that we never actually talked about it...'

Aaron shifted again, deliberately avoiding Chas' gaze. 'I... I can't remember. One minute I was driving fine and then the next thing I know the car was flipping. The last thing I remember is Cain shouting my name. Then I woke up in hospital and I saw you.'

Aaron prayed that was enough. He prayed the memory loss story would satisfy his mum. It was all he had. But his mum could read him like a book.  
He needed her to buy his story.  
How could he ever tell her the truth?  
That he crashed because of a broken heart?  
A broken heart that he's sure would never heal.

The rest of the evening consisted of a good old Dingle knees up! Any excuse for a party! But as much as he tried, Aaron's heart wasn't in it.  
He looked around the room, watching his family laughing and joking without a care in the world and he suddenly realised he couldn't remember the last time he had felt like that, not really.

'Aaron? Aaron? You okay love?' Chas had become concerned for her son, noticing how distant he had become during the party.

'Yeah I'm... I'm fine just get off.'

'Are you sure? If you're still in pain I can get your tablets.' She began messing with Aaron's cushions and pillows, causing him to snap;

'MUM, I SAID I'M FINE NOW WILL YOU JUST BACK OFF AND STOP SMOTHERING ME.'

Silence filled the room and Aaron immediately regretted yelling at his mum.  
Not only had he upset her, he didn't do himself any favours as another wave of pain shot through his chest.  
He gritted his teeth and Paddy sat beside him and waited until the pain had eased.

'Mum, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I'm just tired that's all. I need some sleep.'

Chas nodded before calling time on the celebrations, she had become so swept up in spending time with her family she had almost forgot that her son was recovering from serious injuries.  
Before long everyone had said their goodbye's and once again it was Aaron, Chas and the four Woolpack Walls.

'Aaron, I'm sorry about before. The last thing I wanted to do was upset you. I love you more than anything and I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you.' Chas eyes filled with tears as the reality of the past few weeks finally began to hit home.

Chas' emotion hit Aaron by surprise. He had spent all this time thinking about himself and Robert and his own problems that he hadn't even thought of how much this had effected Chas.

'Mum. You didn't lose me. I'm right here with you. And I'm not going anywhere. I promise.'

Chas smiled at her son, before kissing him softly on his head.

'Get some sleep son. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight.'

Aaron watched his mum leave before lying back, closing his eyes and leaving his troubles behind for another day.


End file.
